The North Texas barbecue scene just keeps getting bigger — and more spread out. Your favorite barbecue joint may be dictated more by location than by what's coming out of their smoker. Not that it isn't worth it to, say, drive 45 minutes for bacon burnt ends. If you're in the mood to try something new, here's a look at a few of our favorite barbecue dishes in DFW right now:

Brisket and burnt ends at Post Oak Smokehouse Tucked on the end of a new strip mall near Royal Lane and Riverside Drive in Las Colinas, the new Post Oak Smokehouse sports a covered patio and a solid menu of classics like brisket, shoulder clod, chicken, turkey, pork ribs and chops, as well as two varieties of homemade sausage. Go for the lean brisket — on our visit, it was expertly smoked with a small fat cap separating the meat from the salty bark — or the burnt ends.

The Niman Ranch beef rib (and bacon burnt ends, duh) at Heim Barbecue Look, by now, we're all aware of the glory of the bacon burnt ends at Emma and Travis Heim's now-brick-and-mortar Heim Barbecue in Fort Worth. But that's not the only greatness on this menu. "True carnivores will want to avail themselves of the Niman Ranch beef rib, although some advanced planning may be required; they average a pound and a half each," Observer barbecue writer Chris Wolfgang writes. "The outside of the rib is covered with a salty black bark, and underneath, tender short rib meat and expertly rendered fat that explode with flavor. "

Literally anything at Cattleack BarbequeEarlier this summer, Cattleack shut down briefly while they remodeled and doubled their space. They're making great use of that extra space, still churning out killer brisket, sausage, ribs and specials like burnt ends. If you have a hard time making it out on Thursday and Friday, the only two days Cattleack is open, there's still hope: Cattleack is now opening one Saturday a month, even smoking up specials like whole hog.

Behold, vegan "brisket" made with seitan and served in several forms — like tacos — at the new V Eats in Trinity Groves.

Courtesy of V-Eats

Vegan brisket at V-Eats OK, so no, it's not actually brisket — hell, it's not even meat. But V-Eats, the new vegan restaurant at Trinity Groves, has some serious fun with faux meat, and the brisket is no exception. This liberally seasoned loaf of seitan is smoked, sliced and tossed in a sweet, tangy barbecue sauce before it's served up in sliders, tacos and sandwiches. No, it doesn't taste quite like a brisket, but yes, it is pretty fun and tasty. Go on — live a little. It's not like we're suggesting you go eat at Dickey's.

Beth Rankin is an Ohio native and cicerone-certified beer server who specializes in social media, food and drink, travel and news reporting. Her belief system revolves around the significance of Topo Chico, the refusal to eat crawfish out of season, the importance of producing food responsibly and an aversion toward people who describe themselves as "award-winning."